Senators Fight For A Vote On Campus Rape Bill

Article here. Excerpt:

'A bipartisan group of senators tried to generate momentum Tuesday for a vote on their legislation reforming how colleges handle sexual assault.

The Campus Accountability and Safety Act, or CASA, would dramatically change how sexual assault is handled on college campuses. It has 36 co-sponsors, but senators are waiting on the GOP-controlled Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions to bring the bill up for a vote.

CASA would allow the Department of Education to fine schools up to 1 percent of their operating budget for violations of Title IX, the gender equity law requiring schools to handle sexual assault and harassment reports. Currently, the Education Department can either reach an agreement with universities outlining reforms a school will make to comply with Title IX, or withhold all federal funding from the school, including student loans. The department has never withheld funding, and activists say the fines are simply a slap on the wrist for schools.

CASA would also require a standard, uniform survey of every college and university to gauge students’ experiences with assault and harassment, and whether they sought services from any agency.'